


Small Good

by officialcaptainrogers



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bucky making friends with small animals, Friendship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-16
Updated: 2014-05-16
Packaged: 2018-01-25 02:22:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1626476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/officialcaptainrogers/pseuds/officialcaptainrogers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky loved working in the shelter, he was proud of himself for it. He was no longer hurting people; he was actually doing good in the world. </p><p>Small good, but good all the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Small Good

**Author's Note:**

> I was thinking about Bucky working in an animal shelter and this just sort of happened, I'm so sorry about this.

Bucky loves the animal shelter. He finds it calming; the animals don’t know who he is, don't know about his past. They don't pointedly stare at his metal arm as he's walking towards them, they don't hurriedly cross the street as he approaches. The animals don't judge him, they don't throw him pitiful looks when they see the damaged look in his eyes, don't question his occasional confusion about modern life. And more importantly, they actually liked him- something Bucky hadn’t experienced in seventy years.

 

The dogs were his favourite. They were always so excited to see him; they bounded to him side when he entered the room, jumping around him, yelping with joy as he set down their food.

Bucky let out a soft laugh as his favourite dog came bounding towards him, tackling him to the ground.

“Hey buddy,” he muttered, trying to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him by the large dog. “How've you been?”

 

Steve wagged his tail happily as bucky scratched his head. He had been a tiny puppy when Bucky had found him, severely underweight and extremely ill. Bucky had considered taking him in and looking after him himself. He's had a dog as a child, so he wasn't completely oblivious as what to do, but of course, that was before. So he looked after him for a few days, trying not to grow too attached to him- that never ended well , for anyone. Eventually, he took the dog (Steve, as he'd taken to calling him, as he reminded him a little too much of someone he once knew) to the animal shelter. Although it wasn't really what he wanted to do, he was willing to give up Steve- he didn't want to hurt anyone else, and he knew that that was exactly what he'd end up doing if he kept Steve.

‘I'm a trained assassin,' he thought to himself. ‘I don't look after dogs.’

 

But apparently, Steve wasn't willing to give up him.

 

Bucky had never officially been given a job at the animal shelter. The manager had been forced to call him within hours of him dropping Steve off. He refused to eat unless Bucky was there with him- instead just whined quietly and sadly, as if mourning.

So Bucky had taken to spending more and more time at the animal shelter. At first the volunteers were wary towards leaving him alone with any of the animals, Bucky didn't really blame them for that, he knew he carried a rather menacing vibe with him, what with his large metal arm, and tendency to walk around silently, almost unnoticed by those around him. It wasn't exactly as if wasn't used to not being trusted, after all.

Over time, everyone at the animal shelter, people and animals alike, warmed to Bucky. He started helping out where he could, feeding animals, cleaning the kennels, nothing too difficult, but he began to be relied upon at the animal shelter. And he liked that. It made him feel wanted.

 

Before he even realised it, Bucky had been working at the animal shelter for six months. People were no longer wary of leaving Bucky to lock up for the night, no longer had to force a smile when they saw him when he came in in the morning.

Steve was no longer the small helpless puppy he had been when Bucky had found him, in fact, he had grown to be a rather large, healthy dog.

While Steve was by far his favourite animal in the shelter, being the only reason Bucky had found himself staying for the first month or so, at some point along the way, he found himself becoming attached to all of the animals there- he would find himself playing with the kittens, letting them fall asleep on him when they tired themselves out, or feeling a certain jealousy when someone adopted one of the rabbits.

At some point along the way, he found himself becoming a person again.

 

Bucky loved working in the shelter, he was proud of himself for it. He was no longer hurting people; he was actually doing good in the world.

Small good, but good all the same.

 

* * *

 

“Hi, I wonder if you could help me, i'm looking for a particular friend I lost.”

 

“Yeah of course, what it is you've-” Bucky broke off as looked up from the dog bowl that he was emptying food into, completely in shock. “Steve?” He asked timidly, completely unmoving, as if worried that Steve would disappear if he even dared to look away.

 

Steve grinned, his eyes full of adoration. “Hey buddy. How've you-”

 

Bucky moved suddenly, dropping the food to the floor, as he ran to embrace Steve.

 

Steve chuckled. “I've missed you too.” he said, wrapping his arms around Bucky tightly.

 

How long they were standing there in each other's arms- minutes, days, weeks, Bucky had no idea. They stood there until the the sound of a loud, excited dog jumping around at Bucky's feet interrupted them. Steve let go of Bucky, leaning down to pet the dog. “And who’s this little guy?” he asked looking up at Bucky.

  
Bucky smirked. “That's my best friend. His name's Steve.”


End file.
